Meta launches teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger with built-in protections

Teen accounts will limit exposure to harmful content and introduce stricter parental controls across Meta platforms.

A Meta Platforms display is shown on a smartphone screen in this photo illustration taken in Chania, Greece, on March 26, 2025. Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/Nur

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Meta launches teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger with built-in protections to help ensure the safety and well-being of its younger users. After rolling out the feature on Instagram last September, Meta is now expanding its teen-focused safety measures across more of its social platforms. The move underscores Meta’s broader mission to build a more secure digital space for teenagers navigating social media.

The Teen Accounts feature will be rolled out first in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, with a global release planned in the near future. As stated on Meta’s official blog, teens will automatically be placed into these safer account experiences. For users under 16, parental permission is required to make any changes that would weaken these safety settings.

“We automatically place teens into Teen Accounts, and teens under 16 need parental permission to change these settings to be less restrictive,” Meta explained on Tuesday, April 8.

This new framework represents a shift in how Meta approaches youth privacy and online well-being. By default, the Teen Accounts feature shields teenagers from inappropriate content, limits interactions with unknown users, and introduces usage limits to reduce screen time.

Building a safer digital experience for teens

Meta’s teen safety push comes at a time when increasing concerns have been raised about the mental and emotional effects of social media on adolescents. With the Teen Accounts initiative, Meta is taking a proactive approach to designing age-appropriate experiences, rather than relying on user adjustments or after-the-fact content moderation.

One of the most significant aspects of Teen Accounts is that teens can only receive messages from people they already follow or have previously interacted with. This restriction drastically reduces the likelihood of unsolicited or potentially harmful communication from strangers.

In addition, only friends can view and reply to their stories, as well as tag, mention, or comment on their posts. This helps create a more private and controlled environment where teens can engage more safely with content and conversations.

Meta revealed that since the introduction of Teen Accounts on Instagram, around 54 million teen users have already been transitioned into these secure environments. Impressively, 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 chose to retain the default protections offered by these accounts — a clear sign of the feature’s acceptance among young users.

For teens under the age of 16, parental involvement is a key element of the Teen Accounts experience. Meta has embedded controls that allow parents to monitor and approve certain activities and privacy setting changes. For example, teens cannot opt out of safety settings or expand their privacy permissions without the direct approval of a parent or guardian.

On Instagram, new additions also prohibit teens under 16 from going live unless a parent gives explicit permission. Meta has also introduced automatic blurring of nudity in direct messages (DMs), a feature that adds another layer of protection against inappropriate content. Teens must receive permission to disable this safety feature, preventing impulsive decisions that could expose them to harm.

Reducing screen time and promoting healthy habits

Another key component of the Teen Accounts initiative is encouraging teens to manage their time on social media more mindfully. Meta is rolling out time-based reminders to help users log off after extended use. For example, teens will now receive gentle nudges to take a break after using Facebook or Messenger for more than one hour a day.

To reinforce healthier digital habits, Meta also introduced Quiet Mode — a feature that automatically mutes notifications during nighttime hours. The goal is to reduce distractions and promote better sleep patterns among young users. This mode works across both Facebook and Messenger, and complements Instagram’s own nighttime notification management system.

By integrating these features directly into the core functionality of each platform, Meta is working to shift user behavior in a more sustainable direction — away from overconsumption and toward more balanced use.

With the expansion of Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger, Meta is aligning its entire ecosystem around a unified strategy for youth safety. The features introduced today are consistent with those already in place on Instagram, providing a cohesive experience no matter which app a teen chooses to use.

Meta’s investment in age-specific features reflects growing industry and public pressure to create safer spaces for children and teens online. The company has faced scrutiny in the past over how its platforms impact young users, especially with regard to body image issues, online bullying, and addictive behavior. By launching Teen Accounts with automatic protections and restricted functionality, Meta is attempting to address many of those concerns head-on.

Future updates and global expansion

Although the Teen Accounts feature is currently limited to four major markets — the US, UK, Australia, and Canada — Meta has confirmed plans to roll it out globally in the coming months. This expansion will likely include additional localized adjustments based on cultural and regulatory differences across countries.

Meta also hinted that further updates may be added to the Teen Accounts experience, including new tools that give parents deeper insights into their children’s online activity and AI-based features that can proactively detect potential risks before they escalate.

Meta’s decision to launch Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger with built-in protections marks an important step forward in addressing the complex challenges of digital youth engagement. By providing automatic safety settings, usage controls, and parental permissions, Meta is equipping both teens and parents with the tools they need to navigate social media more safely and responsibly.

The company’s broader commitment to teen well-being is evident in the design and implementation of these features — all of which prioritize privacy, safety, and mental health. As the digital world becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, efforts like these are not just helpful, but essential.

And while it remains to be seen how these features will evolve over time, one thing is clear: Meta’s push toward a safer online environment for teens is not just a response to criticism, but a necessary shift toward a more responsible digital future.